Usage of wireless devices such as a mobile phone, a smartphone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), etc. has exploded in recent time. Although this tremendous increase in use has effected the individual owner, there are additional complications created for a group, organization, and/or company that are using wireless devices. As the types, number, and usage of wireless devices continues to increase, it becomes critical for a company to better manage aspects of the wireless devices, such as the number and/or types of wireless devices, as well as to accurately track charges, such as monthly utilization to actual cost. Companies also find a requirement to help ensure that costs/billing be applied to a particular division, department, and/or individual level. Other important issues include keeping and tracking available information on the asset(s), such as what manufacturer, model, and/or software is installed, and how the wireless device is configured. Wireless device users also require wireless device support, either live or self-help, for problem resolution. Software updates are another requirement, keeping the wireless device up-to-date with the latest fixes and/or enhancements.
An illustrative scenario is a corporation, XYZ Corp. (XYZ), which requires mobile phones and PDA devices for employees. As such, XYZ contracts both with a cellular service provider, CP1, and with CP2, a mobile phone and PDA device provider. Both CP1 and CP2 are to each provide services for corporate and personal employee usage of their respective wireless devices. This requires XYZ and/or the employees to contact each provider (i.e., CP1, CP2) for monthly usage, billing, support, etc. Certainly with any size company, but in particular with large companies, because of the vast quantities of wireless devices and the use thereof, and/or the globalization of a company, suitable and efficient management of the wireless devices has quickly become less attainable.
A consideration in managing wireless devices is the constantly changing and improving technologies offered in the arena of wireless devices. These technologies include aspects of the services provided by the service providers for the wireless devices as well as the software and hardware entailed within the actual wireless devices. Companies obtain (e.g., purchase, rent, lease) new wireless devices on occasion. Compounding these considerations is that existing wireless devices may last beyond their useful technical life. Further, wireless devices with the company can break, get lost, can become outdated technically, and/or get passed on to other employees. Further, new employees get added to the company, while other employees retire, leave the company, and/or get promoted or transferred within the company. Older wireless devices that are being replaced or removed may still have a useful purpose be it within the company, or elsewhere. Compounding this scenario is a decision whether a particular wireless device should be assigned to a particular individual, to a particular position in a unit, to a particular budget item, and/or the like. Other decisions include whether an older wireless device should get passed on, thrown out, returned, and/or the like. Current approaches to addressing the treatment of new and pre-existing wireless devices in a company are piecemeal, at best, and, more commonly, entirely random and/or non existent.
In view of the foregoing, a need exists to overcome one or more of the deficiencies in the related art.